Afghanistan, Pootie Tang, Blondie, Nas, Tim Tebow, You're the Worst, Christian Cage, and more...

The Josh Wells Weekly, Episode 105

Preface:

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Having fun and pointing at the floor at the last Hell Yea! comedy show. It was a blast. Come to the next one, Fri, 9/10!

Random Thought

I’ve tried to refrain from sharing my political opinions on social media as of late mostly because I feel like what’s the point? It only instigates the same old 2-sided arguments you see everywhere else and no one learns anything and social media is a less fun place for it.

But it’s kinda hard not to have some thoughts on the war in Afghanistan and how it’s coming to an end. It’s crazy to think how long this war has gone on but maybe even crazier, how much the American mindset has changed. If my memory serves me correctly (I was in my 20’s and partying pretty hard so who knows how correct it is serving me), war in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 anywhere was a popular idea. Afghanistan got thrown in the mix because we thought they were harboring Bin Laden and that’s really all you needed to say to justify any kind of military action at that point in time. I can clearly remember sitting in a diner with some friends and the TV’s were on and the news was reporting that the first military wave was going in. They showed footage of expensive, weaponized planes taking liftoff and people in the diner around me were actually clapping. That’s how popular it was.

Two decades later, not so much. We’re a nation divided by philosophy. The war is completely unpopular and the only things left to argue about are how to end it and who’s fault was it? Which president is the real villain? Republicans attack Biden. Democrats attack Trump. But they’re both complicit in the bullshit and it goes beyond them. Every president since Reagan probably has their filthy fingerprints on it. For once, all the presidents are in bipartisan unison for being complete bastards. They all let us down, civilian and soldier, and now the people of Afghanistan as well, who will have to deal with the dire consequences of a post-war existence. American intervention is supposed to leave a place better off than when we found it but we failed. We not only lost a war, we did anyone and everyone who has any connection to this conflict a disservice that will most likely lead to more harm than good.

May we learn from our mistakes and may we have the wisdom and humility to admit it was one in the first place.

Movie I Watched Recently

Pootie Tang

(Netflix)

This movie was ridiculous and silly and exactly what I needed. The comedy is borderline Airplane-ish. It’s just a non-stop barrage of silly jokes and sight gags. It’s a superhero story like no other. Pootie Tang is the coolest, so cool that he’s too cool for words so he just uses gibberish like, “Wa-Da-Tah.” Much like Batman, he’s got a super cool belt that helps him with all his fighting. He’s a hero to the kids and the corporations don’t like his anti-drug/booze/fast food message. They try to buy him off but Pootie Tang is not for sale and so a battle ensues.

Chris Rock and Wanda Sykes are great in this movie. It’s fun to see Dave Attell act. This might be the role of J.B. Smoove’s career. And although I’m not really sure who Lance Crouther is, he is an amazing Pootie Tang, the star of the show.

It’s also written and directed by Louis CK, for whatever that’s worth (very polarizing, I know).

Sa Da Tay

TV show I’m currently watching

You’re the Worst

(Hulu)

I’m finished! This a very good show and I would recommend it overall. However, I did find myself a little lost in the toxic-ness of Jimmy and Gretchen’s relationship, it could be overbearing at times.

The last episode is great. Pulling off a final episode and ending a series is tough to do but they do it well. There’s maybe one aspect I sorta didn’t like… Edgar sorta had to play a bad guy to make the ending happen, and that’s as spoiler-ish as I wanna get. I’d always thought Edgar was the best of the bunch so it was tough to see him sorta soil his reputation at the most crucial moment. But also, if you watch it, you find out he’s kinda justified in his actions and it makes sense, it’s just not enjoyable or something you’d root for. The ends mostly justify the means though and everything ends in what I thought was an appropriate manner.

There seems to be a thing with Jimmy, as the series progresses, where he gets dumber or maybe he was just that dumb all along and his snotty, better-than-you complex that covers it up fades over time. It’s as if we see the layers of the onion get peeled off to find out what’s really inside. I’m not saying he’s a sweetheart or anything like that, but just a simpler creature than originally advertised. Maybe that’s just the effects of love.

Overall, this is a fucked up love story and the world could probably use more of it. Jimmy and Gretchen are far from perfect, awfully self-centered, and mostly mean to other people. It gives it a sorta rigidness and realness that gives it its anti-romcom feel. There’s not a lot of warm fuzziness and when there is, there’s always something lurking around the corner to dispose of it.

Also, tons of fun side characters and stories along the way.

They can be mean assholes but also so oddly relatable at times.

Album of the Week

King’s Disease II / Nas

This album is incredible.

Just had to get that out of the way. The thing is, I don’t listen to a lot of Nas. I kinda don’t listen to a ton of hip-hop, definitely more rock than anything else. The last time I listened to an entire Nas album was probably sometime in the early aughts. So I feel a little out of place getting hyperbolic about what I listened to, but holy shit, it blew me away. Nas is sick on every track. The rhymes, the wordplay, the message… the fucking message, for real. Nas is a hip-hop philosopher/historian/elder statesman/legend/still maybe one of the best in the game. This album is about 51 minutes long and when I first saw that, I was like, well, some of this is probably gonna bore me but it never did. Nas tells stories and drops truths and there’s a part of me that walked away from this album feeling like I may have even learned something.

There’s also some sick guest cameos on here. Eminem and EPMD for sure were cool. But the mightiest guest verse was dropped by Ms. Lauryn Hill on the track, ‘Nobody.’ Just incredible.

There’s a fun track called, ‘Brunch on Sundays,’ where the hip-hop god, Nas, defends brunch. So if you like brunch, and someone’s giving you shit for it, tell them Nas likes that shit.

Book I’m Currently Reading

Blondie - Parallel Lives / Dick Porter, Kris Needs

Finished this book yesterday. Very good overall. One of the cool things about the Blondie story is their “comeback.” (I don’t know if it’s a comeback. They just took a long break. Call it whatever). It’s cool to see a historic and influential band still do their thing later in life and make new music and tour the world and receive the validation and the accolades they deserve. Some bands burn out too quick and never know how beloved they are or aren’t able to soak up the spotlight and that’s kinda sad to me. I don’t know if it’s better to burn out than fade away. To each their own but I love the idea that as live music is coming back to life, there may still be a chance that I could see Blondie live one day, even if it’s not CBGB’s in the midst of a punk rock/new wave revolution. I’m getting older anyways. I don’t mind the bigger venues with the overpriced beer. Less roaches.

An older Blondie, still killing it.

Random sports thought of the week

There’s football on TV but I have no idea what’s going on. Only thing I know is Tim Tebow got cut from the Jacksonville Jaguars and that seems appropriate I suppose. I try not to root for the firing of or cutting of any player. I don’t think it’s cool to root for people to be unemployed. But someone’s gotta get cut in the preseason and Tim Tebow trying to be a tight end in the NFL at the age of 34 felt like a publicity stunt more than anything else. I guess if by some miracle (and I know Tim believes in those) he was some kinda supernatural at tight end, it would’ve worked, but this seemed doomed from the start. I’m sure Tebow will be okay. He’ll still probably find profitable revenue streams in broadcasting and being Tim Tebow. He also probably gets the honorable distinction of being the most famous athlete to get cut in the preseason this year (and maybe the most famous since Brock Lesnar. If you can think of anyone more famous, let me know).

This will not be the last we hear of Tim Tebow.

Random pro wrestling thought of the week

Christian Cage recently defeated Kenny Omega for the Impact championship and I think that’s a big fucking deal. I could’ve never seen this coming a few years ago or even when AEW first began. Christian seemed to be done with wrestling. Then he came back after a 7 year absence, but only after Edge did it first, so it felt like what it’s always felt like throughout most of Christian’s career, he’s stuck in Edge’s shadow.

Winning this title and beating possibly the most talented pro wrestler on the planet (although Christian could possibly be the most talented pro wrestler on the planet himself) sets him apart and gives him his own unique legacy. He’s undefeated and now a champion that allows him to show up in two different promotions (he’ll be defending the Impact title at an Impact ppv this Friday, to add to what could be the craziest pro wrestling weekend in ages).

And things will probably get bonkers this weekend. We have ‘CM Punk on Friday’ rumors. Summerslam. Takeover. This is Christian’s moment and it could be fleeting. So if only for this week, I’d like to hold on to the moment. Christian already had a legitimate claim to being one of the greatest on the planet and now he has a title and a bona fide victory over a top talent who doesn’t lose a lot. Kenny Omega is the belt collector and Christian was the first to take one of those belts (two of those belts, technically). He’ll get another chance to take another belt at the next AEW ppv. We’ll see what happens, but for now, let’s all appreciate the pro wrestling greatness that is Christian Cage.

Christian looking for his props.

Weekly Top 5 List: My Top 5 Wrestlers At This Moment in Time

1- Roman Reigns

2- Christian Cage

3- Kenny Omega

4- Darby Allin

5- Walter

Weekly Quote

“We’ve always tried to be positive. It’s our way of being political. The world is fucked up, so in lieu of actually making political statements we just try to make people feel better. That’s a good job.”

-Chris Stein of Blondie

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Upcoming Shows

Thu, 8/19

I had a show but it’s been postponed till 9/23. I’ll plug it in future issues.

Wed, 8/25

Staten Island / free

Slow week but we got a new Hell Yea! Comedy date, Fri, 9/10. Flyer and all that to come. Save the date!